Brazil is in the middle of an insurrection. Meanwhile, Jose Aldo is harboring ex-president Jair Bolsonaro at his Florida vacation house, according to reports.
This cannot be ignored.
On Sunday, chaos broke out in the Brazilian capital, frighteningly similar to the failed coup at the American Capitol two years ago.
According to televised reports from Brazil, supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed three different federal government buildings in Brasilia, including the congressional building, the Supreme Court, and the Planalto Presidential Palace.
Bolsonaro left Brazil for the U.S. on December 30, just two days before incoming President Lula da Silva’s inauguration. Bolsonaro is said to have done so out of concern that, once the new president was sworn in, he might face legal issues due to numerous investigations that are currently ongoing related to his time in office. The former president is reportedly staying in a vacation home owned by Jose Aldo, the former UFC featherweight champion and all-time great, in Reunion, Florida, close to Orlando, according to numerous reports.
Aldo is one of many MMA competitors from Brazil who openly backed Bolsonaro while he was president.
This news is fairly ill-timed for the UFC, as the first PPV of 2023 is set to take place in Brazil’s largest city, Rio De Janeiro. Unless it’s canceled, it will be the first event there since the final event before the 2020 pandemic.
Bolsanario has denied any involvement in the insurrection and posted a Twitter thread saying violence crosses a line.
“Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy. However, depredations and invasions of public buildings as occurred today, as well as those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, escape the rule.“
Still, of all the places Bolsanario decided to seek refuge, the vacation home of a Brazilian UFC legend speaks volumes about the influence MMA has on Brazil. In the coming days, it will be interesting what sort of actions the UFC will take to manage the situation.
Follow Will on Twitter @WillyBeansMMA